The visitors are here, and now is every Mumbaikar’s chance to see them along with experts. Around 15,000 flamingos have already landed on the Sewri-Mahul maduflats and to mark the occasion the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has organised a one-day ‘Flamingo festival’ on April 16.
The festival will not only be the celebration of the flamingos’ visit to Mumbai, but will also be an attempt to create awareness about the danger faced by wetlands due to encroachment, dumping of debris and developmental projects. The mudflats have become homes for migratory birds such as flamingos, western reef herons, egrets, plovers, common greenshank, brown-headed gulls, terns, sandpipers, black-headed ibis, redshank, white-throated kingfisher, pariah kite and purple heron. Now in the fifth year of the festival, BNHS will intensify its awareness campaign to save the mudflats in Sewri-Mahul.
“BNHS has been spreading awareness about the Sewri-Mahul mudflats for several years. The flamingo festival is an important event in this regard. BNHS has also identified the region as an Important Bird Area (IBA).
It has also recommended that the proposed Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link from Sewri to Nhava-Sheva should be shifted about 500m away from the proposed alignment so as to protect the flamingo habitat. It is necessary that the area should be declared a protected area,” said Atul Sathe, public relation officer, BNHS.
But has the number of flamingos coming to the city decreased over the years? “The number of flamingos visiting Mumbai is more or less stable, with minor variations,” said Sathe.
He informed that, their migration to Mumbai, the timing and numbers depend on factors such as suitability of habitat in and around Mumbai, weather conditions in Kutch (their prime breeding area), rainfall situation in Kutch and the number of chicks born and their ability to fly with their parents.
The flamingo festival, which will be held on the mudflats of Sewari from 2pm, will offer Mumbaikars the opportunity to watch the bird in the presence of experts from the field.
This is also an opportunity to reach out to thousands of people to spread the message of conservation. Last year around 5000 people participated in this one day festival.
